Please advise

Question

Demographic
Ukrainian - Born in Ukraine, Kiev.
Male
Age:24
GMAT: 660 (Q50,V28, AWA: Pending)

Education
Undergrad at National Technical University of Ukraine “Kiev Polytechnic University” 
Graduated from the same university.

Graduation: 2011
Major: Electrical Systems and Networks
GPA for undergraduate school: 3.3
GPA for graduate school: 4.0

Masters in Electrical Systems and Networks

Applying for Fall 2014 (hopefully in round 1)

Work Experience
Currently working as a technical auditor and consulting power engineer at the LLC Burea Veritas Ukraine (2 years). 
Worked for a little over than 2 year at the company involved in carbon emissions market and in JI/CDM projects development. Will have 5 years at beginning of Fall 2014 programs.

Extra-curricular
Red Cross Volunteer.

Technical specialist of ISCC certification (establishment of an internationally oriented, practical and transparent system for the certification of biomass and bioenergy).
Registered as a Professional Technical expert within 4 industrial scopes.

Licensed as a BREEAM International Assessor (the world's foremost environmental assessment method and rating system for buildings).
Within the first year of work at Burea Veritas verified more than 40 JI/CDM projects, aimed to reduce emissions into the atmosphere. Projects were supervised by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and JISC (Kyoto Protocol).

Post MBA Goals
Develop Ukrainian wholesale market for electrical energy sales and improve the efficiency of Ukrainian Power industry through the creation of an opportunity for competitive battle at the market.

Questions:
Please advise MBA programs with concentration on Energy (USA programs only).
Thank you for your time and comments!

Admissionado · Answer

Hey there dude, thanks for dropping by...

Before I dig into your profile I have a few questions for you first...

Reading through your profile, it seems to me that I am missing three years from your work experience. Can you tell me a bit about what you did then? Also, do you have any leads in your work place? Any other management, leadership or training experience?What have been so far your greatest "business" achievements?

So if you can elaborate a bit more, that would be fantastic.

As for energy programs Very good question! Energy is BIG, very BIG. And although of course if you get a good MBA from any good general management program you are probably good to go for management in an Energy program, there are still some schools that come up time and time again when we think of strong energy programs or specializations or links to the Energy industry like Stanford, Haas, the Texas schools (Rice, McCombs), and Duke.

Stanford has the Precourt Institute for Energy:
https://pie.stanford.edu/

Haas has an emphasis on Energy and Clean Technology:
https://mba.haas.berkeley.edu/academics/energy.html

Duke has a concentration in Energy and Environment: https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/edge/education/mba_ee/

McCombs @ Austin has two energy research centers, and specialization in energy finance:
https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/Centers/CEFER/
https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/centers/emic
(and being in Texas don’t hurt none, neither)

Rice @ Houston has an energy concentration:
https://business.rice.edu/Degree_Concent ... spx#tabs-2
Also, being located in the city where the majority of the Energy supermajors have their main HQ will definitely be a plus when it comes to internship or job-seeking time. (Look into where people are coming from for the ND fracking boom too)

Final note: Are you willing to retake the GMAT and do you believe you can do better? If yes, then do it! 40 points will make a HUGE difference here!

If you have any other questions, you just drop a line, my friend...

Sergiy · Answer

Thank you for the comments and the list of schools!
Maybe you will share your opinion about areas of power concentration in the USA? I am not familiar with it at all.
Within the last four years I had the following experience:
1. 2 years of work at Carbon Capital Service Ltd. Position - Project manager. Responsibilities: Ukrainian JI market business development, ERPA negotiations, JI project development, liaison with DNA (Designated National Authority).
2. 2 years at LLC Bureau Veritas Ukraine (till now). In a one year I have confirmed my high qualification and got well recognized status of international technical specialist in the four energy related sectors. Being a project manager, I successfully verified more than 40 JI/CDM project (Kyoto Protocol Projects). Managerial position included all aspects starting from negotiation with project developers to registration of the project.
3. From the start of this year I have received the status of International Assessor of BREEAM certification system, in this way developing new branch for building sector in the company.( In Ukraine just 5 such specialist have licenses to conduct BREEAM certification). 
Biggest contribution: deep knowledge of ISCC helped me to bring my company at the leading position among others companies, involved in the certification of Biodiesel and Bioliquids. Taking into account fact our competitors were in this business 2 years before us, i am sure that fact that my company current position is leading is not a big success, but rather a result of my tremendous work (I have started that this certification sphere alone).
PS: I am going to be one of the assessors who will certify all facilities in Russia for 2018 FIFA World Cup. 
Do not know what the most important to emphasize in my essay. Maybe you, the experienced person, can orientate me what is the most valuable in my case for admission committee? 
By the way I forgot to mention that I am the youngest project manager in the company. 
I hope description above will help you to understand my case better.

Would be very glad to receive any further comments!

Unfortunately I am extremely busy this year and do not have enough time to enhance my verbal side for GMAT. I have been studying English just 3 years and not sure that even having enough time will improve my score. Do you think it is bed score 660 for nonnative speaker?

Admissionado · Answer

Hey there dude, Happy to help! and thanks for the kudos. Let's do first things first: Your GMAT: My opinion here is that you should ONLY apply to B-school with the best possible GMAT you can get, EVEN if it means applying one year later. The school that you can get in with a 720 is soooo MUCH better than the school that you can get into with a 720, that it might translate into 20$ K a year! (so as you see, it might be worth it to wait). Unless you have really good other reasons to apply now, in which case - apply! Second: Energy: Oil and Gas is traditionally in Texas and the midwest, now there is this fracking boom.. you probably know more about this than me, so I would just suggest that you speak to any American colleagues if you have, or read up in industry trade mags. Clean energy can be based all over, but Cali is particularly strong. Third: What to write: I can see from you messages that you aren't writing the right thing, but in the essays you will!

I know this may sometimes be tough to understand, but what you do TECHNICALLY is of little interest to the MBA program - they probably don't know anything about your industry so they will have little idea what you are talking about, and anyhow that is not what they are looking for. What they ARE looking for is promise and potential of leadership, good team skills, good negotiation skills, PROVEN success (being the youngest manager is very good!), and so on... so this is something you need to think about when you go and write your essays. So, the big question is now: what to do? Are you still interested in applying this year? Or does holding off till next year make more sense (giving yourself enough time to study for and retake the GMAT one or two times if need be)????

Please advise

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